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Kynedrin
"Just...no Spiders next time, okay?" ''- '''while discussing their next destination with the Party' "He lives. Far gone and long forgotten. But he lives." ''- '''All-Seer Miratha' Kynedrin 'is a close ally, and founding member, of the Party, having been rescued and freed by them when they first united. While he initially kept his true intentions hidden from them, upon losing his brothers and caravan to the machinations of Blaen, he dropped all pretence and waged a one-man war of revenge for the sake of his family. Gaining a measure of revenge since with the slaying of Blaen's lieutenant Alizera, he pledged to follow his new-found allies upon their invitation to join them. As the bonds between the Party grow, he has revealed more about his past, that he was originally of Orzammar but an undisclosed event caused his family's upheaval from the Kingdom of the Dwarves. While initially he was closest to Vay, the two forming a powerful duo of shadow killers, it is now often Kynedrin and Caspar on the front lines whenever the group wind up in combat. Having duelled personally in their spare time, a modicum of respect seems to have emerged between the two. This was shown most clearly during the encounter with the Great White Bear, where he passed a potion to his wounded ally while desperately trying to fell the beast. His keen accuracy with his throwing axes have also proved a boon to his companions, claiming the life of a Magic-Infused Spider and saving the life of Vay as he was nearly felled by a Great Black Bear. Since the prophecy given by All-Seer Miratha however, Kynedrin's motivations seem in upheaval. His desire to deal with this mysterious person that yet lives caused him to grow distant for a time, though his loyalty was never in question. His companionship with Caspar has only grown, as the two duelled in the streets of Val Royeaux numerous times for numerous reasons, the latest being as a distraction for a theft carried out by Vay and their new compatriot Drystan. He was reunited with some old friends it seems during the Brawl at the Ghastly Tome, namely Holgun and his crew, who handed him payment for returning the lyrium shipment successfully. Asked again if he wished to stay with the group, he heartily agreed, reminding them that his promise was to Orzammar, though he may have regretted that decision judging from his struggles aboard the Blood Viper as they travelled across the Waking Sea. The events that have transpired so far in Ostwick have revealed to him how much of the world he doesn't understand, his inability to experience magic rendering him a bystander in many situations. Background ''"It was a gift from my father, so I've been told. Before things went wrong." - '''about his Axe Revealed following the melee that earned him his vengeance against his brothers' killer. His family were allegedly formerly of the Merchant caste of Orzammar, though he and his brothers were separated from their parents through some unknown means, as Kynedrin bears no caste nor mentions the name of his house. Some time after he revealed this, more was gleaned by Vay during the Party's exploration of the Tomb of the Fallen Scepter. Noticing the symbols inscribed into his axe, the Elf asked what they meant. Surprised to be asked, he said that the axe was a gift to him from his father, long before "things went wrong" and their house fell. Though he remembers little of that time, he was told that the inscriptions are the symbols of his house. He credits the Carta with giving him and his brothers a life. They were left alone and struggled to get by in the slums, before a chance deal made by Kynedrin for the sake of his brothers' well-being earned them protection, in exchange for membership and working off a debt. This membership became something of an indentured servitude, that has long since passed its accepted sell-by date. The details of this deal are unknown, as are those of the reasons why they were driven to the Carta in the first place. One thing he made perfectly clear was that he prefers to operate as an independent trader, whether for the Carta or otherwise, having enjoyed the trading life that he and his brothers had before the disaster that struck at Halamshiral. He now fears for the potential Carta retribution, shedding some further light on his relationship with them. He also possesses a deep fear of Spiders, likely related to an event in the Deep Roads during his youth. He was able to somehow overcome this, despite later almost being ingested by a magical spider queen, calling upon some otherworldly courage to overcome his fear. Any other information has yet to be learned, especially the circumstances of his being on the surface. Encountering The Party Halamshiral One fateful night in Halamshiral, Kynedrin was ambushed on the way back from meeting a contact by a group of bandits and thieves. While he was able to initially defend himself, the numbers of the group were brought to bear and he was rendered unconscious. The noise attracted the attention of the party, who were gathered in the nearby Downward Swan. Engaging the attackers, they were unable to prevent his capture as half of the bandits, later revealed to be The Bleakwatch, dragged him back to their headquarters further into the city. After nearly a half hour of torture at the hands of the Bleakwatch leader, an unknown Elven woman, Kynedrin was barely conscious as the Party had managed to track the bandit to their headquarters and kicked in the door, albeit accidentally at the hands of "Ranger". While he was unable to help in the ensuing fight, he was healed and freed by Saidra. Pleading for their help, telling them he feared for the livelihood of his fellow caravan members if they had already managed to track and capture him, he joined with the Party briefly as they rested up and headed back to the Swan. On the way to his caravan's camp, his worst fears were confirmed as they discovered every member of his party ruthlessly killed, their throats cut in their sleep. He discovered the bodies of his brothers, Oswulf and Vergest, and collapsed briefly in an emotional state. The revelation some weeks later that he had also seemingly lost his father and house long ago, makes this event even more devastating in hindsight. He rushed to the wagon, discovering their prized cargo - a shipment of lyrium - had been taken and returned to the sides of his kin. As Saidra sought to comfort him, he revealed his true affiliation. He and his party were indeed independent traders, with Carta connections and pseudo-membership, and had been contracted to deliver goods all over Orlais, but with a particular shipment heading towards the city of Halamshiral. The group hoped to take the initiative and earn a higher cut by bypassing the underlings in the city, which he since believed to be the Bleakwatch they had encountered, by taking the goods straight to Val Royeaux and the head of the operation Blaen himself. He had been taken for this supposed affront to the Bleakwatch, and supposed that Blaen had taken it upon himself to punish those involved. Now driven by a desire for revenge, he laid his brothers to rest on a patch of stone that was nearby, saying a prayer to the All-Mother Stone. Joining the party for the time-being until the deed was done, he headed with them to Val Royeaux, sharing a drink with Saidra for his fallen brothers before the night was over. Val Royeaux He was relatively absent from the first few events of the day in the capital, taking it upon himself to scout out and try and find his own information on Blaen. Finding his companions once more at the Gilded Lion in the Bazaar, he informed "Ranger" that their quarry frequented a particular tavern in the city, would be attending a party later that evening at his rival's (Lady de Sennoya) estate, and would likely be at the tavern within the hour. Heading with his Elven friend, the two indeed encountered him within, after Kynedrin intimidated his way past the bouncer and gained them at least a few minutes of peace. While they expected to just do simple reconnaissance, Blaen spotted them and, contrary to the expected, invited them to share a drink with him for the sake of manners. Kynedrin partook in none of it, and was quiet through the whole exchange, his eyes shifting only once off of Blaen, towards the large woman at his side. Blaen offered his condolences for his fallen friends, suggesting his lieutenant had gotten carried away with his orders. Seeming to strike a deal with the mastermind, the Ranger informed Kynedrin he had no such intention before they made their way to reunite with the rest of the group outside the resident of Lady Aveline of Red Cavern. After finding a way to enter the party from Lady Aveline, the party wound up in combat with some members of the Bleakwatch that had followed them to the capital out of revenge. Almost felling "Ranger" in the first few seconds, the party was informed and quickly finished off the group, with Kynedrin seemingly absent. He had in truth been keeping an eye on their surroundings after they fled the estate to help their companion, wary that there would always be one more to inform in case the attack failed. Spotting that individual as the combat died down, Kynedrin caved in his chest with his Battle Axe, and sarcastically suggested not running off in future to the Ranger, reminding them his vengeance rests on them surviving long enough to find Blaen. Once more scouting the surroundings while the party visited Baron Decourt, he then kept close to Balbus during the party at the Sennoya Estate. Keeping a low profile as the hours passed, with no sight bar rumours of a 'Polite Barbarian' and an 'Unwelcome and Boring' individual, the group eventually saw a mass of people heading downstairs from the Banquet Hall-turned Dancefloor. Initially denied entry when Caspar tried, Balbus was granted entry by figures he seemed to recognize that soon vanished upon the party joining him. They rushed into the revealed wine cellar to see a massive melee in progress, with magic users, a Templar-led group and a group that was revealed to include Blaen, all locked in a free-for-all for unrevealed reasons. The deal that Blaen had been attempting to secure lyrium for had something to do with the Templar group, but the party had arrived to late to glean any information tied to it. As the party sought to figure out who to side with, or at least who was who, Caspar took point and Kynedrin struck the first blow, felling an agent of the Templar with a throwing axe to the skull. Attempting to fell Blaen once he spotted him, his other throwing axe glanced off his armour before he and Caspar worked in tandem against their foe. Caspar was almost felled before the man's life was claimed by the actions of two Mage-aligned spearmen, while Kynedrin tried his best to take Blaen down, but struggling to pierce his significant armour. As Blaen fell, Kynedrin turned his attention to the 'Polite Barbarian', wrapped in furs and leathers also draped in Orlesian finery, that had been engaged with "Ranger" for most of the fight, after striking a gut blow against Caspar. The two were locked in a vicious duel, each slowly and surely taking the other down, before Kynedrin was able to close the gap. Driven by his intense revenge, he threw his Battle Axe in the hope of taking her life. "Ranger" spotted this and ducked at the last moment as the blade found purchase in the skull and neck of the lieutenant. The Aftermath Seeming to zone out after the melee, Kynedrin sat down by some casks of wine and ale, while his allies looted the corpses of their attackers and conversed with the mages. The conversation revealed them to be part of a group known as the Elevated Brotherhood, who seek freedom for mages from the overbearing Circle system, and the allowance to use magic when you want to, albeit within reasonable circumstances. As Vay began to peruse the chests in the cellar, one brought as payment by Ardal for the lyrium, and one brought by Blaen that carried the aforementioned lyrium. Still within its original box that his caravan had transported it in, Kynedrin snapped to life and quickly warned Vay away from it. As the Elf felt a throbbing in the back of his head, and eventually the sensation of something watching him, Kynedrin made sure that the cargo was undamaged. Having found it still in good repair, the various vials holding strong, he sat back on a nearby chair and began to contemplate his options. Asked by Vay what he intended to do next, and what they should do with the lyrium, he stated that he needed to take it back to the Carta. Revealing a part of his background, and how if nothing was returned the Carta would likely come after him or others that are still important to him back in Orzammar, he made it clear he needed to at least return the cargo, with there now being no supplier, buyer or coin with the result of the melee. Listening in on the remainder of the conversation between the Party and the Brotherhood, and the later suggestions of Lady Melanie to go to Ostwick after another line of smugglers, he kept to himself as he absent-mindedly rolled the necklaces of his brothers in his hand. As Vay questioned him, Kynedrin said this is what he also wanted to return below, as there was somebody who needed them after what happened. As the remainder of the Party asked him what he intended to do in the long term, he said he really had nothing else to do until he could return to Orzammar, to return those necklaces below and then possibly smooth over relations with the Carta properly. Offered a place in their group, he gladly accepted, not wanting to travel alone and somewhat enjoying the travels he has had with them since they rescued him in Halamshiral. As they all headed back upstairs to enjoy the party, Kynedrin led the group in a rousing drinking contest that saw the eventual winner being one nobody expected, as Saidra outlasted even Caspar and the tavern-hardened constitution of a Dwarf. Various hijinks followed, including Vay and Saidra dancing and falling over, while Caspar sang many a drinking song to himself, trying to get nearby party-goers to join in and failing. Bringing everybody a drink of water to end the night, he declared each of them 'salroka', a Dwarven term loosely meaning friend or "one by my side", and hoped to rejoin them in the morning. As everybody stumbled back to Lady Aveline's in the dark, he disappeared. He next showed up at the training grounds where Caspar and Vay had headed to in the late morning, Saidra making her way to the White Spire and Balbus taking a spa day. Seeing Vay falling very quickly to Caspar's unrestrained strength, Kynedrin instead took his place and almost succeeded in disarming the Nevarran, earning a hearty respect from the man. A Dwarf At Sea His decision to stick around perhaps bit him in the ass, as the group soon acquired a hearty and sturdy vessel in the Blood Viper to journey to Ostwick. He instantly grew quieter and contemplative as he began to realize what he was going to do. Asked by Vay and Caspar if he was alright, he stated that he had never been without solid earth beneath his feet, so this was going to be something very weird. The Dwarves fear the sky, with some tales saying you'd just float up into it without the stone to block you, and that was a whole effort to get over in the first place. Now he suspected this was going to be the same thing all over again. He kept mainly to the lower decks during the voyage, taking forever to find his sea legs, and spending most of it in the corner of their lodgings to give himself some steadiness. Even the roar of a Dragon didn't cause him to stir, feeling that the sea was the bigger threat. He ventured out to meet with Caspar and Kell, the barbarian Quartermaster of the ship to talk weapons and compare battleaxes, but the lurching of the ship as it ventured into stormy weather sent him back to the lodgings. He did come back to the deck again once more before they made port, and that was when the Blood Viper came across metal ships throwing explosive projectiles somehow at the city of Kirkwall during the now fog-covered evening. Brandishing his two-handed axe, Kell doing the same, and Caspar ready with his greatsword, they unfortunately were not needed, but they kept on edge until the fog lifted and the city of Ostwick came into view. Ostwick When they stepped off onto the dock, Kynedrin took a few moments to thoroughly appreciate the ground beneath his feet. Wanting to preserve what little dignity he had left, he was able to resist just dropping to the ground and kissing it, before he joined the party as they ventured forth. He followed Vay for the most part, and when the rest of the group thought up their elaborate plan to infiltrate the lyrium smuggling organisation, the two of them didn't even have to look at each other before they decided to collectively sit out of the venture. He did enjoy the codename of "Ice Mountain" however. The Tomb of the Fallen Scepter Personality As is often natural to Dwarves on the surface, Kynedrin initially appeared stubborn and determined in whatever task he had deigned was his primary focus. Distraught and guilt-ridden upon the deaths of his brothers and his entire caravan, he made it his singular goal to strike down Bleakwatch members wherever he saw them, blaming them for the death of his group, before later finding out the blame lay with Blaen and Alizera. This anger, however righteous it was, almost landed him in bad situations. His barely contained disgust for Blaen while he and Vay conversed with the villain could have turned the encounter at any time. Similarly, his determination to not let Blaen get away and thus not to be left outside of the party almost brought him to odds with the Party itself. This nature cooled upon the slaying of Blaen and Alizera, and was replaced by one of much more grounded and rational thought, though still of a sour disposition. Now having time to mourn his brothers, he has shown a more sombre outlook, happy to be with the Party and willing to help out when he can, including overcoming a phobia of Spiders to free Saidra from the webbing of the Queen and even slaying the Queen. He has also been at the forefront so far of the Party's interaction with magical objects, transporting the Lyrium back to the Carta and stepping up to the box once he noticed Vay's negative reaction to his proximity to it. He would also warn Saidra away from the mysterious runestone they found in the ancient Andrastian shrine, later making it his purpose to shield the others from it, lest they be seduced by whatever it may contain. These actions suggest a strong sense of personal honour and courage to the previously stubborn and agitative Dwarf. He is overall a very wary character as well, as shown above, and something that was shown in his hesitant approach of the Spider Caverns. His reaction upon reading Enchanter Albredon's cipher suggests this as well, voicing to Saidra his concern that fading phylacteries and magical rumblings in a place that also happened to be where Lady Melanie said there was another ring of lyrium smuggling suggests something more at work. He further iterated this after successfully deciphering one of the messages the group found in the second mercenary camp out in the Timber Drum in Ostwick, as the message was so beautifully odd and foreboding that he couldn't help but miss the simplicity of his previous life. Stats and Abilities Attributes * Health: 42 * Defence: 12 * Speed: 10 Abilities: * No penalty to Speed/Dexterity in Leather or Mail armour. * Able to convince NPC's to help him and his allies in return for favours, easier than others would be able to * Ranged accuracy is uncanny, gaining +1 bonus on attack rolls using throwing weapons. * Able to reload thrown weapons as a free action. * Can Dual-Strike for 3 stunt points instead of 4. Special Inventory * The necklaces of his brothers Oswulf and Vergest * The Two-Handed Battleaxe he wields in combat, bearing the symbols of his house. ** Received as a gift from his father. * The ancient runestone discovered within the Spider Caverns * A royal blue cloak, with golden trim, designed by Lady Aveline. Category:Dwarf Category:NPC Allies Category:Warrior Category:Rogue